Hard at First, but Amazing in the End
by Jessabelle Silvy Capris
Summary: What if Shifu had never adopted Tigress?What if Tigress had stayed in the orphanage for 18 years?And when she leaves, what does the future have instore for her?What happens when she meets the members of the Jade Palace? Read the story and find out.
1. Chapter 1

Kung fu Panda

Hard at First, but Amazing in the End.

She was all alone. No one cared for her. These thoughts were going on in young Tigress's mind. She was sitting in a corner of her prison-like room. The five year old cub had been let out of the room, but poor cub. She was unable to control her strength and ended up scaring the other children. She was punished. Again. She brought her knees to her chin and rested her head on top of her knees.

'No one loves me. My parents must have hated me. They must have thought that I was a monster. Like the others.' Tigress thought sadly and tears began flowing slowly.

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Tigress was unusually happy. For a girl who had sharp claws and razor sharp teeth and had been called as a monster for eighteen years and had spent her whole life in her room all alone, this was really strange. But Tigress had a reason to be happy. She had turned eighteen and she could go out into the world. She had waited for eighteen long years to be an adult.

The rule at the Bao Gu Orphanage was that if a child hadn't been adopted, she would have to wait until she was 18. Once she was 18, she could go out.

Tigress had got that. She was 18. An adult. She could be free. She timidly approached the caretaker of the orphanage. She saw the caretaker, Mrs Sheep going through some papers.

" Ma'am?"

" Oh Tigress. What is it dear?" Mrs Sheep asked not looking at Tigress as she was busy in the papers.

" I am 18 now. And I was thinking that maybe I could go out as a free woman. It is in the rules of this orphanage." Tigress said timidly.

Mrs Sheep looked up from the papers and looked at Tigress in the eye. Her mind went back to the time she first saw Tigress. A tiny cub wrapped in a blanket, all alone. Mrs Sheep remembered the day when the cub opened her eyes and revealed her bright amber eyes. She remembered the time when Tigress spent her whole life in that prison-like room. She remembered the fine, young, beautiful and hot-tempered woman Tigress had become over the years. The Tigress who had been bold, was now timid. But the sheep could see the happiness in the bright amber eyes.

"Leave the orphanage? I.. uh.. you are 18. So you can leave if u want." Mrs Sheep said. She saw how the happiness in Tigress. Tigress beamed at her and said thank you at least ten times.

Mrs Sheep gave her a new set of clothes. It was a dark blue vest with black borders and sleeves that stopped one inch below her elbow. The pants were made of dark blue silk. Tigress wore it and Mrs Sheep thought that she was simply stunning. She gave Tigress a small pouch with 500 yuan and Tigress's eyes were filled. Finally Tigress left the orphanage, her home for 18 years, and went out into the world where she would live her life.

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Tigress had finally reached the Village of Ai. Ai means love. Tigress was wondering if she would meet anyone in this village. She could have just gone to the Valley of Peace. But no. She didn't want to go to there. The orphanage was situated there. She wanted to be far away from the orphanage. So, she had gone to the Village of Ai.

She was struck by the beauty of the village. Colors were everywhere. The shops, houses everything was so beautiful. So colorful. As Tigress looked around, she saw many happy faces. Love was in the air. She could feel it, even though she had never received love. She saw parents buying sweets for their kids. Suddenly her stomach growled. She was hungry. She hadn't eaten since she left the orphanage. She spotted a restaurant and went there.

The restaurant's name was kind of strange. Dragon Restaurant. As Tigress went inside, she realized that the name was apt. There were small and big statues of dragons everywhere. There were some posters on the walls also. Not of dragons though. She spotted an empty seat and went and sat there. Her first meal outside the orphanage. She felt like the happiest tiger in the entire world.

Little did she know that her entire world was going to be full of suprises and colors.


	2. Chapter 2

Hard at First, but Amazing in the End.

First off, l decided to change the rating. It's going to be T rating. And thank you liking my story. When l saw that l got a review for my story and that the person liked it, l was so happy. Thank you so much. One more thing, I'm sorry but it's not going to be a TiPo. I don't like that pairing. It's going to be a Tigress x Oc. Anyway, on with the story.

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Chapter 2:

Tigress found an empty spot and sat there. She admired the paintings of the dragons. A female rabbit came to take her order. Tigress, not wanting to waste money buying too much, she simply ordered a cup of tea and a plate of dumplings. She sat there waiting for her food.

A male white tiger entered the restaurant. He looked around the restaurant and smiled. He spotted the white female rabbit and went to her.

" Hey Lan. My orchid flower." Ju-Long said startling the rabbit.

Lan turned around and saw the white tiger and smiled. Ju-Long was always startling people. She teased him back.

" Hey Ju-Long. Still as powerful as a dragon?"

" I don't know. l don't fight people. Anyway, l am a little hungry and I can see that the place is full. Any spot free for me?" Ju-Long asked looking all around.

Lan looked around and saw the place full. then she saw that a female tiger was sitting alone. A mischievous thought came to her. She had always wanted the white tiger to have a relationship. This orange tiger seemed to be a bit lonely. She smiled and said to Ju-Long.

" A tiger is sitting all alone in a two-seater table. You can sit there." Lan said pointing to the spot where Tigress was sitting.

" Ok. And, by the way, I want tea and dumplings. Your best dumplings. Got it?"

" Sure. Go sit."

Ju-Long nodded and went to sit. As he went closer to the tiger who had its back facing him, he noticed that the tiger had some pretty good curves. He realized that it was a female. The clothes she wore showed off her curves. He stood in front of her and noticed that she was looking at some paintings on the wall, to her right side. Even though she didn't see him, he saw that she had a pretty face. She had a strange eye color. Amber. It suited her face. The stripes on her face was gorgeous. She finally looked at him. He saw happiness in those eyes, yet there was a hint of sadness behind it. He finally snapped out of it and asked.

" The place is packed. And I wanted to know if I can sit here. You know, you are the only one sitting here, and one more could sit here. May I?" He asked making sure his voice sounded perfect. For some strange reason, he found himself being attracted to this stranger.

" Oh sure. You can sit." Tigress replied.

" Thanks." Ju-Long said and sat opposite to her. Her voice was sweet. Not like the voices girls usually had. High-pitched voices. Tigress had a strong sweet voice. He liked it.

They sat there quietly for a few seconds until he decided to break it.

" What is your name?"

" Tigress. What is yours?"

" Ju-Long. Where are you from? I have never seen you before here."

" I come from the Valley of Peace. Not exactly the Valley actually. I come from the Bao Gu Orphanage."

"Orphanage? You're an orphan?" He asked a little surprised.

" Yes. I was there was my first 18 years. No one wanted to adopt me. I stayed there till I was 18. When I did, I left. And here I am." Tigress said with a straight voice, even though there was hint of sadness about her past.

" So you are 18. I am 22. I'm also an orphan. My parents died due to sickness. With some luck, I didn't get it. I was just 7 when it happened. But I let go of the past. And here I am."

They continued talking about their lives. Lan came and served them. Ju-Long asked Tigress if she wanted someone to show her around the village. He offered to be her guide. She gladly accepted it.

Tigress, for some reason felt herself being attracted to this white Bengal tiger in front of her. She found out that Ju-Long was also an orphan and that Lan's parents had adopted him. Lan had been his childhood friend. Tigress also observed him. His fur was pure white with black stripes. He had hazel eyes which she assumed would glow soft golden in the dark. The shirt he wore was black with white designs of olive leaves. His pants were also black in color. The shirt he wore had half sleeves which showed off his muscular arms. She assumed he was a fighter or something related to fights. In short, he was handsome. His face, eyes, everything was perfect. She found herself looking at him, not being able to look away. They had quite a few in common. They were both orphans, had a terrible past, but enjoying life right now. When he offered to be her tour guide, she accepted without any other thoughts. She enjoyed the thought of being close to him. She blushed inwardly at that thought.

They both finished eating and left the restaurant after paying for it. Ju-Long guided her outside and took her to the nearest shop which sold ornaments.

"Go ahead and buy one. You don't have many ornaments. Buy." Ju-Long said to Tigress after seeing that she didn't wear any ornaments.

He watched Tigress as she looked at the ornaments before her eyes with awe. He figured out that she hadn't seen anything like this before. He watched as she ignored the sparkling necklaces and chose a simple necklace. It was nothing special. The necklace had a heart-shaped red stone with a golden chain. She put it around her neck and turned to Ju-Long.

" Is this good?" She asked him.

" Of course. It really suits you." He replied after observing her. He figured out that she liked simple things. She wasn't like the other girls he had seen. The others would've totally ignored this simple necklace and would've chosen the sparkling ones. He liked that about Tigress. She was different from the others. She had a unique aura around her.

Tigress bought the necklace and wore it. Ju-Long then showed her around the village. They had met in the afternoon and now it was evening. Close to night.

"Where are you gonna stay?" Ju-Long asked her.

"I don't know. I'm new here remember? Do you any inns where I can stay?"

Ju-Long thought for a minute and then said.

"Actually, as I am a tour guide I know about inns. But I must say that there the inns charge a lot. I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to pay for it. But, if you want you can stay in my place. I have two bedrooms in my home."

Tigress thought about it and then smiled. Ju-Long noticed that her smile was pretty sweet.

"I would love to stay in your place. Especially if it means that I get to be close to you. I mean, be close to a friend. A best friend." She added noticing a slight mistake in her sentence. She had also blushed slightly but her orange fur, thankfully hid it.

Ju-Long instantly brightened. For some strange reason, he liked the thought of having Tigress in his home.

The sun had set and it was dark. The stars were out and they were shining brightly. There was no moon is sight. It was new moon day. Ju-Long took Tigress's hands and led her to his home. Tigress entered the home and looked around in wonder.

The house was painted dark green on the outside but light green on the inside. The inside was simple. There was a small table in a corner with three chairs. There were a few paintings on the wall. Two bedrooms was situated close to each other. A bathroom was situated outside the house, in the backyard.

Tigress entered the room that was given to her. It was also painted light green. There was a bed in the corner of the room with dark green bed sheets and pillows. There was a small dressing table near the bed. She smiled to no one in particular. She went and lied down on the bed. The sheets were soft. She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. She had been too tired. After all, she had been travelling for days. She immediately fell asleep.

Ju-Long went inside his own room after Tigress entered the room given to her. He changed into his night-clothes. He then went outside and knocked her door. No one answered for quite a while. He then went inside and saw her fast asleep. He chuckled softly. She looked like a cub while sleeping. She looked innocent in her sleep. He went back to his own room and lied down. He fell asleep quickly dreaming about the girl next to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Kung Fu Panda

Thank you all for reviewing. The updates might be slow because I have a lot of school work on my hands like exams and projects. But I will try my best and will complete the story. The members of the Jade Palace will also be in the story. Along with a few changes. Anyway on with the story.

I own Kung Fu Panda and I'm mighty proud of it. I wish I could say that but no. I don't own the movie.

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Chapter 3:

Ju-Long woke up and yawned. He got up from his bed rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He dressed and went out. His nose caught the smell of something good and followed it to the kitchen. He was surprised to see Tigress there, making something.

"Good morning Tigress." Ju-Long greeted her.

Tigress spun around, a little startled but smiled when she saw it was just the male tiger.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She greeted him back.

"Yes, thank you. What are you making?"

"Just tea. I don't know how to make anything else."

"How'd you learn to make tea?" Ju-Long asked her wondering how she knew how to make tea but not anything else.

"From the orphanage. I used to watch the elders of the orphanage make it. Of course I was far away from them but my feline eyes could see it clearly."

"Hmm."

After a few minutes, Tigress poured the tea into two cups and gave one to Ju-Long. She watched as he took the cup to his lips and blew on it to cool it a little. He then took a sip.

"Wow. It's really good. What did you add in this? Clearly plain tea doesn't taste this good." Ju-Long remarked after taking that one good sip.

Tigress smiled and spoke.

"Just a little honey with cinnamon powder. The caretakers would just add cinnamon powder. Something told me to add honey also to make it better. It worked perfectly."

"It sure did." Ju-Long said with a smile.

They went to the dining table and sat there, drinking tea and making small talk. After they had finished the tea, they both realized that they were still hungry. They only had a small amount of tea for breakfast. Ju-Long suggested that they eat outside. Tigress agreed.

They got dressed and went out. Tigress had changed into a red vest with golden designs of leaves on her side. Her sleeves were black and short. Her pants were black. This was the outfit she had when she was in the orphanage. She had brought them along as she only had two sets of clothes. Ju-Long had changed into a dark green shirt with black pants.

They went to a small noodle shop where they ordered for a plate of steaming noodles. Ju-Long was rather shocked when he got to know that Tigress had never tasted noodles. When the food came, they started to eat.

Ju-Long watched Tigress as she took a mouthful of noodles. He watched as she admired the taste of the new delicacy she had.

"Wow. This is really good." Tigress said taking in another mouthful of noodles.

"I'm glad you like it. Though you must know that, there are rumors, that in the Valley of Peace, you get more amazing noodles."

"I find that hard to believe. I don't think that anyone can make better noodles than this. This is the best."

"We'll see about that."

"What do you mean?" Tigress asked raising an eyebrow.

"After showing you around this village, I'm taking you to the Valley of Peace." He said casually.

"What?!" Tigress choked on the noodles she had taken just that minute.

"You heard me. No arguments."

Tigress just glared angrily at him. He knew that she didn't want to go that village. And still. Sulking, she ate the food, not speaking with him.

After they had finished, they left the shop. Ju-Long took her to the tailor shop. The tailor shop keeper was a female fox who looked like she was in her late 30s. Her green eyes were full of energy. Her name was Huan which meant happy or joyous which fit the fox.

"Hello Huan." Ju-Long greeted the fox.

"Oh Ju-Long. Long time no see." She greeted him back. She had known the tiger for years. She was the one who had stitched the clothes for him. He was practically her son. They had a really friendly relationship. She soon noticed the female orange and black tiger.

"And who is this lovely girl?" Huan continued.

" My name is Tigress. Pleased to meet you." Tigress introduced herself.

"Yes yes hello dear. What type of clothes do you need?" Huan asked her after observing Tigress's outfit.

"How'd you know it was me who wanted clothes?" Tigress asked tilting her head to one side.

" I've made clothes for this tiger here and I know that those will not wear out soon. So I figured that you are the one who wanted." Huan chuckled seeing Tigress looking at herself.

Huan soon got some outfits for her. She was rather horrified to know that Tigress didn't like to wear dresses and preferred to wear pants and a shirt.

After that, they again went seeing around the village. When night came, they went back to Ju-Long's house.

Ju-Long was in his room, lying on his bed. He wondered whether to take Tigress to the Valley of Peace. He wanted her to see the members of the Jade Palace. Something was off about Tigress. He couldn't figure what it was. He thought that maybe Master Shifu would be able to figure it out.

"Tigress. What is so mysterious about you?" He spoke to the walls around him softly.

He soon fell asleep.

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(After a few days)

"What is so special about the Valley of Peace?" Tigress asked Ju-Long as they were nearing the mentioned village.

"Nothing special like that. Except for the fact that Jade Palace is situated here which is home to the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Four. And to the Grandmaster of Kung Fu."

"Kung fu? You mean the martial arts?"

"Yes. Exactly that. With a little difference. Anyway, we are here. The Valley of Peace. Finally we made it." Ju-Long stated after they had entered the valley.

Tigress took a deep breath and exhaled. The Valley of Peace. Just like the name said, the valley looked peaceful. She liked the peaceful aura. Not like the dark aura she felt when she was in the orphanage.

They wandered the streets looking for a place to sit and eat. They saw a good place. Mr Ping's and The Dragon Warrior's Noodle and Dumplings Shop. They made their way to that place when suddenly.

" Hand over your valuables or suffer!" This came from a very ugly looking wolf, who was standing in front of the door to the noodle and dumpling shop. The wolf also had three other wolfs who were also terrorizing other people for their valuables.

" I don't have anything. Please believe me." A male duck trembled and spoke.

The wolf wasn't ready to hear anything. He just wanted the valuables. Tigress had enough. She went behind the leader of the wolf, who was the one standing in front of the door, and tapped his shoulder which made him turn around.

As soon as he turned around, Tigress gave a good punch to his nose which made him stumble back, holding a paw over his nose. He soon fell unconscious. The other wolfs made their way to her seeing that she had punched their leader. Tigress saw this and within minutes, all were beaten up. They all took a punch to the face which probably broke their noses. They also fell unconscious.

Ju-Long watched Tigress punch the bandits and defeat them within seconds with an open mouth.

'I knew it! There is something off about Tigress.' He thought. When he hadn't dared to approach those bandits because of fear, Tigress approached them and even gave them a punch. Tigress was a mystery to him.

Everyone cheered for Tigress who had just saved them from a robbery. Tigress was stunned to find out that everyone was thanking her. She was about to say thank you when.

"Dad! Are you ok? I heard that bandits were attacking and, oh, who are they?"

Tigress turned around to see a big panda. She saw that he was quite breathless as if he had been running really fast. She then saw that there were four more people behind him. There was a green snake, a monkey, a mantis and a crane. They were looking at Tigress as if she had two heads. They then noticed Ju-Long but didn't pay attention to him.

"Oh hey son! It's all ok now. This tiger saved us." A duck came from behind the counter of the kitchen and hugged the panda.

The panda returned the hug of his father and then released. The panda then spoke to the tigers.

"So… who are you?"

Ju-Long decided to speak.

"I am Ju-Long and this is my friend Tigress. We come from the Village of Ai."

The panda nodded and said.

"The Village of Ai? Never heard about it. Anyway I am the Dragon Warrior. You may call me Po. And these are my friends Viper, Monkey , Mantis and Crane. They are the Furious Four."

Tigress just looked at them not knowing what to say. Then suddenly.

"Hey! The Village of Ai ! Now I remember. It's the village of love. You are from there. How is it there? Is it lovely? Are there only couples living there? Are you two a couple? Is the village full of love like the name? Did you beat those bandits? Do you know how to fight?" All this came like a stream out of Po's mouth.

The tigers could just look at him. They couldn't understand what he was saying. Then Viper decided to speak.

"How did you fight them?"

"Uh.. I .." This was all Tigress could say.

"With a punch to their faces." Ju-Long replied for Tigress.

The Furious Four and the Dragon Warrior looked at each other with a stunned expression. Then they looked at Tigress.

"Why don't you come to the Jade Palace? I think Master would like to see you." Viper said.

"Why?" Tigress asked finally finding her voice.

" Just come. Please. We can see that you are talented. To knock someone out with a single punch? Even we can't do that. You are…extraordinary." Crane said.

Tigress looked at them and finally agreed on the condition that Ju-Long can also come. They went to the Jade Palace.

Tigress followed the members of the Jade Palace with Ju-Long not knowing that a visit to the Valley of Peace was going to change her life.

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This finally ends the third chapter. I hope you like it. Please review. It really helps me to keep going on. Less reviews will mean late updates. Do you want that?


	4. Chapter 4

I'm back with another chapter. Thank you for reviewing. I just wanna say that I really can't see Po and Tigress as a couple. You can give your opinion in the reviews. Tell me if you want Po to feel something extra for Tigress. If I can, I'll try to add that bit also. "Try to add" is what I said. Not will. Anyway on with the story.

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Chapter 4

Tigress found out that the panda's father's name was . She also got to know that the duck had adopted him. The Furious Four had protected the Valley for years. The Dragon Warrior had already defeated two villains, Tai Lung and Lord Shen even though he was new. Tigress was amazed to see that Po had a child-like character even though he was an adult. She could see through him. He was childish, funny, cute but also had a serious and responsible side. The Four was ok. She still couldn't figure out why she was going to meet Master Shifu. Who was this Shifu anyway?

"We're here!" Po's shout brought back Tigress to the reality.

Tigress looked to see that she was at the foot of a thousand stairs that seemed to leading to a palace.

"We have to walk up those many stairs?" She asked, surprise in her voice.

"I was gonna say the same thing." Ju-Long also said looking up those stairs.

Po and the others chuckled.

"Well, you have to. Don't worry. Even Po couldn't climb up those stairs at the first. You'll get used to it." Monkey finally said with a smile on his face.

Tigress and Ju-Long just nodded. They followed them up the stairs. Both of them were pretty sure that they will get tired soon. Even the others thought that. But, surprisingly, they weren't tired. Tigress and Ju-Long walked up the stairs with ease. Finally all reached the top. Po, as usual, was a little breathless.

"So, now what?" Tigress asked.

"Now, we meet Master." Viper replied.

They went inside the Hall of Warriors. Tigress and Ju-Long looked around in wonder. They noticed something sitting on the edge of a pool of some sort.

Tigress looked carefully at the creature and figured out that it was a red panda. She couldn't help but think that she had seen this red panda somewhere. She almost laughed out loud. Of course she had seen this red panda. The posters in the Village of Ai. It was them. But, still, she knew this red panda. She had seen him somewhere. But where?

Master Shifu's ears twitched at the sound of footsteps. So much for peace. Without facing his students, he spoke.

"What is it?"

" Master. We have some visitors. They fought a bunch of bandits in the village on their own." Viper said.

Master Shifu stood up and turned to face them. He saw the two new visitors. Two tigers. One female and one male. His eyes rested on the female. She had amber eyes. Very rare. Where had he seen those amber eyes? Somewhere he had seen them. They looked familiar. But where and when?

Tigress and Ju-Long bowed to the red panda. They told them their names and from where they had come from. Ju-Long also told them how Tigress defeated the bandits with a punch to their faces. Tigress looked embarrassed when he said it.

Shifu thought for a while and then declared that he wanted to test the tigers' skills. Both of the tigers as even the male looked like he could fight just as well. Everyone headed to the Training Hall.

Tigress and Ju-Long entered the Training Hall and their eyes widened. One look at the training mechanisms were enough to make them scared. Shifu asked them to show what they can do. Ju-Long went first. Surprisingly, he did it. Within two minutes, he went through all the mechanisms. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Ju-Long just shrugged. At that moment Tigress jumped into the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. Within two minutes and 30 seconds, she also made it. Like Ju-Long, she also got the same reaction. She was panting hard unlike Ju-Long.

"That was awesome!" Po shouted breaking the silence among them.

The Four and Shifu just nodded. They were still amazed at what they had just seen. The Four had taken at least one month to go through the mechanisms. Shifu decided one thing.

"You are accepted in the Jade Palace." He spoke to the tigers.

"What?!" was everyone's reaction to this sudden news.

"You heard me. Ju-Long and Tigress. You both have potential to fight. I want to know how you two did it? Even my students had taken one month to go through it. So, how did you do it?"

Ju-Long then explained to them that his parents had been warriors before a sickness killed them. They had taught him how to fight. He had been a fast learner so he had been able to learn many moves. Even after his parents' death, he still practiced his fighting in private.

All Tigress said was that she never learned how to fight and what she did just then was plain luck.

No one believed her in a way. Some of the moves she used back then were pretty impressive. Shifu couldn't help but think that he had seen similar fighting moves like the ones Tigress used. Ju-Long had used some kung fu moves.

Ju-Long and Tigress were accepted. They would now be students of the Grandmaster of Kung Fu, Master Shifu.

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It had been one month since the two tigers had been accepted to the Jade Palace. Tigress and Ju-Long soon became good friends with the others. Their fighting skills had increased in the one month they had arrived. Tigress, surprisingly was also a fast learner. She and Ju-Long had started to learn the Tiger Style.

Tigress had never felt so happy. She got what she wanted for so long. Friends. She was currently sitting on her bed in the room she had been given waiting for the morning gong that signaled the start of the day. She had woken up early. She was thinking about her life. From an orphanage, she had ended up in the Jade Palace. Life has a funny way. She then suddenly thought about Master Shifu. She once again thought about how familiar he was. She couldn't figure it out. Did she meet him when she was a baby? She had been one year and seven months old when she was found in the doorstep of the orphanage. Even though she couldn't remember much, she must have had a life before that right? She could walk when she was found. That she knew. She knew one more thing. She had been hurt before by someone before abandoning her. She had proof of it. Of her being hurt. Seriously hurt. She had a scar on her stomach as if she had been slashed there. She couldn't remember how she got that. She desperately wanted to know how she got it. But there was no way she could.

*GONG*

"Good morning Master." Seven voices said in unison.

"Good morning students. You can go eat your breakfast and then have the day off. Don't ask why you are getting a day off." Master Shifu said and left.

All nodded and headed to the kitchen. Po went ahead and started making breakfast. The others sat around the table. Tigress sat next to Ju-Long. She still felt something for him that she couldn't figure out. She noticed that he now had more muscles than before. It made him look more attractive.

"Breakfast's up." Po's voice rang.

He placed seven bowls of noodles on the table. All dug in.

"I can never get enough of this." Mantis said taking a mouthful of noodles.

"True that. It's too amazing." Monkey said.

"What's your plan for today guys?" Crane asked.

Everyone thought for a while.

"Why don't we hit the village?" Viper asked.

"Sure. I bet that there will be some pretty girls around to look at." Mantis said with a chuckle and a dreamy look on his face.

"Yeah. Some really good looking girls." Monkey said.

Both received a whip to their heads by Viper. She shook her head and muttered something under her breath. She could never understand boys. Perverted boys.

"So, it is settled then. We're going to hit the village." Viper said.

"Yeah!" All of them chorused.

Soon, they were all in the village. Viper and Tigress teamed along while the boys made one. They agreed to meet in Po's dad's noodle shop within one hour. They parted their ways.

Viper and Tigress started to walk through the village.

"That's a lovely necklace Tigress." Viper said, slithering through the village.

"Thanks Viper. Ju-Long said it looked good with me."

"So, what's up with you and Ju-Long?" Viper asked teasingly.

"Nothing's up. Why?"

" How do you feel around him?" Viper asked not believing that nothing was up between the two tigers.

"I feel just like how I feel around all of you. Happy."

Viper just gave her a narrow look. She had seen the look Tigress gives Ju-Long sometimes. She had also seen the look Ju-Long gives Tigress sometimes. The looks said something. It was too clear that the tigers liked each other. They were just shy of confessing it to the other. Well, leave it to Viper. She was the one who read the romantic novels and stuff. She knew how to get the tigers together.

"I will get you two together. Just wait." Viper said to herself with a sly smile on her face. She just loved the idea of getting someone together.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey. I'm back with another chapter. Sorry it took so late. The reason is, i went to my native country where l had no chance of posting it due to lack of internet. And also because of my exams. Being a tenth grader is hard. You have to score good marks, you know.

One more thing. In this story, Tigress is not the hardcore, determined warrior we all know and love. She is different here. But not too different also(I guess). I hope you all understand the reason why she is different. It's because Shifu hadn't adopted her. I hope you guyz get it.

Oh! And l guess there will be a good moment in this chapter(It will be good or bad according to you readers. I hope it will be good.)

Thank you again for the lovely reviews. On with the story now.

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Chapter 5

Viper was pushing Tigress into a cloth shop. Viper had noticed that Tigress was a real tomboy. Wearing the necklace was an exception. Tigress always wore a vest with pants. Nothing else. Well, that was going to change.

"Viper, l don't need a dress. Pants and shirt is enough for me." Tigress said, looking at the girly dresses.

"Pfft. No it's not. You are a female. Once in a while, you can wear a nice dress. Wearing a dress won't kill you."

Viper kept choosing dresses with pink, yellow and orange. Tigress declined them all. Viper became angry at first but then realized that Tigress liked the color black and red. Viper then went through dresses searching for black or red. Which was hard as most of the females wore colors pink,yellow or orange. Tigress almost dozed off in the chair she was sitting when Viper shouted.

"Yes! I got it!"

"Viper?! You got what?"

Viper grinned and showed what she got. A black dress with full loose sleeves. It had a high collar neck. The area of the waist was a dark grey. The material was also very good. Tigress fell in love with the dress.

"Oh wow Viper. This is beautiful." Tigress said feeling the cloth.

Viper asked her to try it on and Tigress put it on. The dress fit her perfectly. It showed her smooth curves. It made Tigress look even prettier.

"Tigress? That you?" Viper asked jokingly but at the same time she was also stunned.

Tigress scoffed and smiled. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"I'm buying this." Tigress decided.

The girls bought the dress and walked. They went through all sorts of shops and enjoyed it also.

Meanwhile, the boys were simply sitting in a restaurant looking at the girls that came there. Well, Ju-Long wasn't looking at the girls as his mind was already occupied with a girl. He was reminded of her when they came to the restaurant, which was full of paintings of dragons and the members of the Jade Palace. The girl was none other than Tigress.

"Yo Ju-Long. What're you thinking?" Monkey asked, noticing the dreamy look in his eyes.

"Nothing Monkey. Just thinking."

"Hey guys! I just remembered. Tomorrow is Viper's birthday. We have to get her something." Crane said suddenly.

Mantis snickered and Monkey smirked.

"You got anything for your girlfriend Crane?" Mantis asked, smirking.

"Wha-no. She's not my girlfriend. We're just friends. And no, l didn't get anything for her."

"Sure. That's what they all say. They say that they are just friends even when they are thinking about them." Mantis said.

"Viper is the kind of girl who enjoys girl stuff right? So why don't we buy something related to it?" Po asked.

All agreed and hit the village.

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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIPER !"

Viper jumped up from her sleeping position and looked startled. She looked and saw the six faces of her friends smiling at her from her door. They had shouted the greeting when the clock struck 12 am.

"Aww. Thanks guys." Viper said wrapping them all in a snake hug.

They went to the kitchen room and showed Viper the cake they had made. Viper cut the cake and gave all a piece. All of them gave Viper a present. When Tigress was about to give her a present, Viper stoped her.

"Tigress. As much as l want to see what you have for me, l want you to do something for me. That'll be your gift for me."

Tigress was confused but accepted it. Viper grinned with joy and led Tigress to her room.

"Ti. I want you to wear the black dress you bought."

"What?!"

"Please? If u don't do it, it'll be like you didn't even get me a present. The packed box doesn't count. So go wear it and come to the kitchen." With that Viper left her room and slithered back to the kitchen.

When the boys asked where Tigress went, Viper merely smiled and told them to wait and be prepared for a surprise.

When Viper said be prepared for surprise, Ju-Long didn't expect this. Tigress wearing a black dress that hugged her body and showed off her feminine figure. He heard gasps coming from the males but he didn't care. He was busy eyeing Tigress. He could see a frown on Tigress's face.

"Viper made me wear this." Tigress muttered angrily.

"You look amazing. Breath taking actually." Ju-Long managed to say.

Tigress blushed at his comment. She fidgeted with the dress.

"I think you should remove it. You don't look as if you are comfortable with this. Go change." Ju-Long said.

Tigress shot him a grateful look and went. She came back wearing a vest and pants as usual.

Ju-Long noticed that he liked this look of Tigress. The tomboy look of Tigress.

The birthday party went on.

The morning gong hadn't sounded yet. They had stated the party in the early morning. Somehow, even a bottle of alcohol appeared. Sadly, all got drunk. Viper, after drinking one glass had gotten drunk enough to fall unconscious. Tigress managed a few more glasses but she became too drunk. She didn't fall asleep but listened to the men talk. The men, having much more experience, managed to stay awake.

Tigress leaned herself against Ju-Long and fell asleep on his shoulder. Ju-Long excused himself and carried Tigress in bridal style to her room. He placed her on her bed, but in the movement, her vest got pulled up. He couldn't help but notice a small mark in her stomach. His curiosity got the better of him and he pulled her shirt a little more up. He saw the big scar now. A long scar ran horizontally across her stomach. He carefully touched the scar. He couldn't help but shiver at the touch. Suddenly he drew back his hand.

What was he thinking? Touching a girl inappropriately? But he had noticed the smooth fur of her stomach. She was soft. He wondered how her soft fur would feel against his –

He shook himself from these thoughts. He pulled down her vest and made sure that she was covered again. She looked peaceful. He left her and went back to the others.

"Guys. I'm back." He announced.

"Hey. We thought you would spend the night in her room." Mantis snickered.

"Haha. Very funny. I am not that kind of guy." Ju-Long said sitting down.

"But l made an interesting discovery." He continued gaining everyone's attention.

"Tigress has a scar. It looks as if someone slashed her across her stomach."

"Dude, you removed her shirt?!" Monkey asked, not hearing the part about the scar.

"No! I never! Her shirt accidently pulled up a little and l saw it. That's it."Ju-Long said but couldn't help but blush. He purposefully skipped the part in which he had pulled up her shirt a little more to see the rest of the scar.

"Scar?" Po asked.

"Yes, scar. It's as if someone slashed her and tried to kill her. The scar is old, not recent." Ju-Long said, remembering the feeling of the scar.

"Should we ask her about it? Maybe she'll know how she got it." Mantis said, rubbing his chin.

"No! We shouldn't. She doesn't know l saw it. I don't want her to think that l pulled her shirt up. Have some sense man."

"Ok ok. Geez." Mantis said.

Ju-Long nodded. They felt themselves going sleepy. They returned to their rooms and slept.

*GONG*

The pleasant sound of metal striking against metal woke up the warriors of the Jade Palace. All felt as if their brain was jumping up and down. A pounding headache. No one managed to get up from the bed and greet Shifu. They stayed in bed, groaning. Soon, they heard Shifu barking.

"What is going on?!"

Tigress managed to walk out the room and lean on the doorside.

"l guess we all have a headache Master." She managed to say.

Soon, all the others stumbled out of their rooms and copied Tigress's position.

"And why is that?" Shifu asked, eyeing the warriors.

No one spoke for a while. Ju-Long decided to speak.

"Um... Master? We ..uh.. drank some wine today..in the early morning as today is Viper's birthday. And we..uh..drank more than we were supposed to."

Shifu looked at all especially Po.

"The Dragon Warrior also supported you?" Shifu asked.

All nodded sheepishly. Shifu sighed.

"For your misbehaviour, l want you all to clean the training hall. I expect it to be spotless."

With that he left the barracks. The seven warriors were perplexed. They had to clean the training hall? The hall which is so big?

Yes. They had to clean it.

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Ju-Long and Tigress teamed up. Monkey and Mantis teamed up, Crane and Viper teamed, Po teamed up with a pillar( He dozed off leaning against a pillar.)

Ju-Long was happy that he got to spend time with Tigress, even though they had to clean. They were scrubbing a part of the floor. Ju-Long desperately wanted to ask Tigress about her scar but didn't. What if he hurt her feelings?

"I'm never getting drunk again."

Ju-Long looked up and asked, "What?"

Tigress sighed and dropped the cloth she had been using to clean the floor.

"I've never been drunk. So l didn't know that you will get a pounding headache afterwards." She groaned.

Ju-Long chuckled.

"Never been drunk huh? I wonder why."

Tigress shot him a look.

"I had been in the orphanage for 18 years. We weren't allowed to drink."

"Oh.." Ju-Long had forgotten about her past. They had been in the Jade Palace for quite a while. With all the training and fights and stuff, he forgot about it.

"So, you have no idea how you ended up there?" He asked her, curious to know about the scar.

"No. All l know is that l was a bit tiny for a cub who was one year old. And that someone had placed in front of the orphanage, in a blanket." She said, cleaning the floor once again.

Ju-Long nodded, but he was deep in thought. Why didn't she say anything about her scar? He thought it was something personal. Or maybe she didn't know how she got it? Anyway, he will ask about it later.

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Months passed, and the citizens of the Valley of Peace had accepted Tigress and Ju-Long after they had defeated more bandits. Ju-Long loved the attention like the other members of the Jade Palace. Tigress seemed to hate it. She refused to go down to the village as she felt uneasy around the citizens.

The day when Po defeated Tai Lung came. There was a huge festival organised by the people. The members of the Jade Palace except Shifu attended. Tigress, feeling uneasy, had climbed onto a rooftop and sat there, looking at the festival.

"You know, you're gonna die of boredom here."

Tigress jumped from her spot, taking a battle stance and looked at the intruder. She dropped her stance when she saw who it was. She dropped back to her seat.

"You're lucky that l didn't do anything. Never do that Ju-Long."

Ju-Long chucked and sat beside her, leaving a few inches between them.

"What are you doing up here?" Tigress asked him, eyes fixed upon the dress Ju-Long was wearing.

He was wearing a red vest with black designs and black pants with red stripes. The sleeves of vest stopped a few inches above his elbow.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replies not taking his eyes off her dress.

She was wearing a black vest with golden designs and black plain pants. Her sleeves stopped at her elbow.

Funny how they were wearing each other's favourite colors.

Tigress sighed and looked down to the festival.

"I don't feel comfortable. People around me, praising me and stuff. Who knows when someone can take a knife and slash me?"

Ju-Long remembered the scar. As if someone had slashed her.

"You shouldn't think negative." Ju-Long said.

"It's hard to think positive when you have suffered for 18 years. More or less 18 years as l left the orphanage at 18."

Ju-Long came closer to her, closing the distance between them. Tigress didn't mind it.

"Think positive Ti. You have a great life now. You got a new family. Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, Po, Shifu and me. That's one great thing."

"When you feel down, what do you think of?"

"Like?"

"When you feel negative, on what positive thought do you keep your mind?" Tigress asked him, looking at him straight into his hazel eyes.

"You." He replied, not even thinking twice.

Tigress looked surprised. "What?" She whispered.

"I keep my mind on you. When l think of you, my worries go away." He said, feeling a blush rising.

Tigress blushed a little. She couldn't shake off the feeling she got whenever she was around him. She had read Viper's novels to know that what she was feeling was none other than love.

"Oh.." She said, not knowing what else to say.

She looked at him, and felt something inside her. Was the weather too hot here? Or was it just her getting a little hot?

Ju-Long slowly raised his hand and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes. He felt himself going hot. He leaned towards her. Should he do it? Should he not do it? His body and heart screamed for him to do it. He closed his eyes.

Their lips touched each other. Just touched. Nothing else. He was about to pull back as she didn't do anything when she kissed him back. He grinned against her lips, her soft lips, and kissed her back.

She was shocked when he pressed his lips against hers. But she could feel the spark between them. She felt him grin and kiss her back. She felt as if she was on top of the world. She pulled back to breathe when he again pressed his lips against hers.

She put her arms around his neck. He put one hand behind her neck and the other on her back.

When they finally pulled back, they saw each other's faces. They both were scarlet. Very red. Both were blushing furiously.

Tigress smiled shyly at him and looked down. Ju-Long looked at her shy face. Tigress looked at him and searched for words.

"You like me?" She asked, her voice barely heard.

"No." He responded.

Tigress was shocked. Her face was full of worry and shock. Did she just give her first kiss to someone who doesn't like her? She was about to say something when he continued.

"I love you."

Now Tigress was really shocked. What was she supposed to say? No one had ever told her anything like this. She stared at his face.

...

...

...

...

...

"I love you too."

Now, that went well.

Ju-Long looked as if he would burst with happiness. Tigress was relieved that she had gotten it out. She reminded herself to thank Viper for her novels.

Ju-Long hugged Tigress and brought her closer to him. She rested her head on his chest and looked up at the stars.

Nothing would destroy their new relationship.

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"You are dating?!" The Four and Po chorused.

Tigress, after the festival had gone to sleep, stating that she was tired. The others lingered in the kitchen and Ju-Long broke the news to them. All had been shocked.

Viper gleamed with joy. "l am so happy for you! You two are the most cutes couple!" Viper rambled on.

"You two just said 'l love you'?" Crane asked.

"No. I kissed and then she kissed me back and then when we pulled back, l confessed it and then she also confessed." Ju-Long said, now very red in the face.

Monkey and Mantis whistled.

"Got a kiss also huh?" Monkey asked slyly.

Ju-Long nodded sheepishly. The others grinned, especially Viper.

"Ooo.. How did the kiss go? Was it sweet?" Viper asked happily.

"Yes.. it was kind of sweet. And.. amazing.." Ju-Long said, his face now a bright red.

"Nice." Monkey and Mantis said together.

"If Tigress's parents were here, they would've been so thrilled." Po said, not knowing about her past.

Actually, no one knew about her term in the orphanage. Only Ju-Long and Shifu knew about it.

"Yaa..." Ju-Long said uncertainly.

"Who's gonna tell Shifu?" Crane asked.

"Should we tell him?" Ju-Long asked, not liking the idea at all. What if Shifu forbids them to date?

"Dude, Shifu should know everything. If we hide it, he will see it in his mind. The universe tells him stuff." Po said, as usual in his childish way.

Ju-Long rolled his eyes as well as the others.

"You know what? Let's pretend as if we don't know anything about this new relationship. I don't think Tigress will be happy to know that something great in her life is being publicised." Viper said, knowing Tigress as she and Tigress had spent a lot of time together.

The others nodded. They went back to their rooms and slept.

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"So Tigress, ya sure you don't know how you got the different style of fighting skills?

"Po, l told you. It just came to me. I swear l didn't even know that l could fight."

"I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because those moves weren't kung fu!" Po said, spreading his arms out wide.

Tigress and Po were sparring. Po was not actually sparring as he kept speaking. When Po spread his arms out, Tigress saw the open space and delivered a good punch, which sent him flying and out of the doors. They could hear him groaning and shouting 'Ow! Stairs!'

Tigress looked sheepish as she heard Po's pains. Shifu and the others stared at Tigress. They knew that she was strong. But a single punch sent the Dragon Warrior flying? Po's enormous belly should have avoided it, just like how it had always done. But Tigress's punch had been strong enough to go through the resistance.

"Sorry..." Tigress said sheepishly.

Shifu dismissed them, and they waited for Po to come back. When he hadn't yet reached, Tigress went down and helped Po up. After that, they headed for the bathroom. Viper and Tigress went for the girls' area while the boys headed for the guys' area.

"So Tigress. That was a really good punch." Viper said to Tigress as they relaxed in the warm water.

"I guess. I apologised to Po so much." Tigress said, closing her eyes.

"No no. What l meant was, whenever we punch Po in the stomach, his big belly stops it and we bounce back. Shifu is the only one who can punch him straight through the stomach. Now you can do it."

"Pure luck." Tigress muttered.

Viper rolled her eyes and relaxed. She then remembered about a new secret relationship.

"How are things with you and Ju-Long?" Viper asked slyly.

Tigress blushed.

"Nothing much. We're good." She stammered.

"Really?" Viper asked, deciding to hear the truth from Tigress's mouth. "But l thought that you two were together. You know, ever since the festival, you guys look closer."

Tigress was now a deep red. "Can you keep a secret?" She whispered.

Viper nodded enthusiastically.

"I.. we.. uh.. Ju-Long and I are together."

Viper squealed loudly.

"Keep it quiet." Tigress whispered urgently.

"Ti. No one else is here." Viper noted.

"I know. But still.."

Tigress reached out of the tub to take her towel, but her stomach got exposed. Viper immediately noticed the scar.

"Hey! How did you get that scar?" Viper asked, her eyes on the scar.

Tigress immediately dropped back on the water, hiding the scar under the water.

"I don't know." Tigress said looking up.

"You don't know?" Viper repeated.

"I don't know. I always had this scar. When l was in the orphanage, this scar was a little fresh. That's what the caretaker said. I guess l was wounded before l was abandoned."

"How old were you when you were found?" Viper asked in a quiet tone.

"One year and some months l guess."

"You were wounded before that?!"

"Yes.."

"You were just a baby!" Viper shouted, horrified at the fact that someone had tried to kill an innocent baby.

"Someone wanted me dead. The scar looks as if the wound was deadly. If the cut wasn't dangerous, the scar wouldn't have been here. So, the cut must have been..." Tigress trailed off.

Viper didn't need to know. She understood that Tigress had been in danger when she was just a baby.

"Right..." Viper didn't know what to say.

"Let's look on the bright side. I'm still alive. The one that wanted me dead had failed. He has to try harder than that." Tigress cheered.

Viper nodded her head uncertainly. She decided to tell Master Shifu about this. She, being a snake, could sense something off.

They left the bathroom talking and laughing.

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And cut there! Did you guyz like this chapter? Is this becoming boring? Is the chapter too long? I hope not. Also hope that you guys like the new Tigress. Her character is slightly different. Anyway, sorry it took soo long also. I don't know if you were anxiously waiting for a new chapter or not.. lf you were waiting, ' Aw, thanks guys.. that means a lot to me..'

Untill next time..

Reviews are needed.

Jessabelle( Pen name)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Master Shifu?"

Master Shifu stood up from his meditation spot and looked at Viper.

"What is it Viper?"

"Master. Today, in the bathing room, I noticed a scar on Tigress's stomach horizontally. Tigress said that she had the scar ever since she was a cub. I'm thinking that whoever wanted her dead, won't stop until she's dead." Viper said cautiously, getting straight to the point.

Master Shifu looked deep in thought. He acknowledged Viper and dismissed her. After Viper left, he knew why Tigress looked familiar. His mind went back to the time he first saw her.

 _Shifu was going to a part of Japan according to Master Oogway's instructions. He asked him to go to Japan as his help will be needed there. Where he will be needed, he didn't know. Master Oogway, as usual, spoke in riddles._

 _Shifu soon got his answer. It was nighttime when the sounds of metal striking against each other reached him. He followed the sounds and reached a miniature war-zone. As much as he wanted to help them, he didn't know who was the enemy and who was the friend. He kept a safe distance and observed, hoping that he could figure out the enemy.. He saw a tiger family fighting wolves. What caught his attention was the moves the tigers used. One of the tigers, a tigress to be exact, fought with grace and beauty. She fought like a dancer. He could see that she was dangerous as well. He looked carefully and that's when he noticed a small cub behind her, sitting with her back to the wall. The cub looked frightened with the noise. Shifu froze in terror as a sneaky wolf caught her and slashed her in the stomach. Judging by the amount of blood that flowed from the cut and how the cub cried out, Shifu knew the cut was bad. He saw the tigress turn around hearing her cub cry. What he saw next, chilled his blood. The wolf, with whom the mother had been fighting with, used this distraction and plunged his sword deep into her heart._

 _The tigress gasped and fell to the ground, beside her cub. She looked at her cub and reached out for her. She closed her eyes, never to open them again. He looked at the male tiger and saw that he had also fallen to the ground, never to get up again. He looked at the cub and saw the wolf was towering over her. The wolf raised his sword which had the blood of the mother and prepared to strike her. The cub was slowly losing conscious because of her wound. Shifu rushed forward and stopped the wolf._

 _Shifu looked around. No one had noticed him as they were busy fighting others. Shifu looked at the cub, who was now unconscious. He carefully picked the cub and fled the scene._

 _He went to the forest and stopped in an area hidden between trees. He carefully looked at the wound. He cringed. The cut was pretty deep. It was a wonder that the cub didn't die. He tore a piece of his robe and wrapped it around the cub. He carried the cub to the Valley of Peace. All the way, he took care of the cub, but the cub still remained unconscious._

 _He, along with Oogway, treated the female cub. the wound was healed, but a nasty scar remained._

 _Shifu was watching the sleeping cub, wondering when she'll open her eyes. The cub stirred. Shifu looked at her intently. The cub slowly opened her eyes revealing amber colored eyes. The cub's innocent amber eyes looked around the room and rested on Shifu. She looked at Shifu curiously. Then, she jumped on his big fluffy tail._

" _Fuffy!" She squealed happily, hugging the tail._

 _Shifu bit back his cry of pain, as the cub had snatched his tail with her rather sharp claws. But he didn't have the heart to pull back his tail. Instead he smiled at her._

" _Kitty!" She cried looking at Shifu. She let go of the tail and stared at him. She squealed when Shifu tickled her with his tail._

 _When Oogway came, the cub stared at the old tortoise. She laughed as the old tortoise tickled her under the chin using his long claw._

 _The cub stayed with them for a few more days. Shifu then sent her to an orphanage. He badly wanted to adopt her but the fear kept him back. But he always thought about the adorable cub. He never forgot about her._

Shifu opened his drawer and took out a ring. The ring had the word 'Hua' imprinted. He had researched about the Huas and found out that they were a rich tiger family in Japan. The family were fighters, specialized in a different kind of fighting. They had defeated a group of wolf bandits many times. With time, the wolves became enemies with the Huas and the colony where they lived. The wolves wanted to wipe out the Hua family.

Shifu knew that if the wolves knew about Tigress, they surely would kill her. He doubted it. The wolves were in Japan. This was China. There was no way Tigress would be hunted down by those wolves.

So he thought.

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I know, short chapter. Sorry for that. But hey, more are coming. Stay tuned.

Byeee


	7. Chapter 7

Hard at First, but Amazing in the End Chapter 7

X-X-

What destroys a peaceful day? Bandits. The Valley of Peace was being raided by wolf bandits. As usual, the warriors of the Jade Palace came to defeat them.

"Stop! You are no match for the awesomeness of the Dragon Warrior." Po said.

The wolves looked at the warriors and they stopped at Tigress. One black wolf with black cold eyes took a step closer to Tigress and spoke in a gruff voice.

"You? How come you're alive?" He seethed.

Tigress was at a loss for words. Who is this wolf and why is he asking her this question? Does he have a link with Tigress's past?

Tigress stuttered. What was she supposed to say?

Po, all of a sudden, threw Crane's hat at a bandit who was about to beat up a poor animal. Then, it was as if all hell broke loose. They fought.

The wolf with the black eyes fought with Tigress. He fought with pure rage. He even slashed Tigress in the shoulder with his claws. It was as if he wanted to kill her.

Tigress managed to defeat him. The warriors stopped the bandits. The bandits ran to the woods.

Tigress, ignored her wound, and focused on a faint memory she had about a wolf slashing her. A wolf who looked exactly like the wolf she just fought with.

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"Chief? You know that tiger?"

"Yes. I remember her eyes. She is a Hua." Chief spoke with malice.

"I thought you killed her." Another wolf spoke.

"I did too. But she survived. She won't for long."

X-X-

Tigress nursed her injured shoulder. Viper helped in wrapping bandages.

"Why did that wolf ask you why you weren't dead?" Viper asked.

"I don't know."

"Do you think it has something to do with your past?" Viper spoke quietly.

Tigress nodded. "I have a faint memory of a wolf like him slashing me. I think he is the one who scarred me."

"I think you should tell Shifu about this."

"We'll see. If he comes back."

Viper bandaged the wound and they went to the training hall. There Ju-Long fussed about Tigress's injury, saying that she shouldn't train and etc.

X-X-

Tigress and Ju-Long finally got a free night together. They went to a small restaurant to have a small date. They were happy to spend some time together, with no pestering or interruptions.

Of course, you must have an interruption when all is going well.

They were eating when an arrow struck beside the plate of Tigress'. A note was attached. It read:

Hua. Or should I call you Tigress ? I never leave a job undone. You are lucky that you survived. But I will make sure that I finish my job. Enjoy your last days while you still can.

X-X-

Shifu was showed the small note which said Tigress would be killed soon. He knew that he would have to say what he knew. And so, he told them about the attack in Japan, the tigers' death, him saving a cub and taking care of it.

"Why did you leave me in the orphanage?" Tigress asked Shifu when he was done.

Shifu sighed and then told about how he was scared to adopt her. How he feared that she would turn out like Tai-Lung. Tigress understood. She smiled at Shifu.

"Whoa. You're telling that Tigress is Japan descent?" Po asked, eyes wide.

"Yes." Shifu replied..

"My girlfriend is Japanese?" Ju-Long teased Tigress.

"Ya. You got a problem with that?" Tigress asked, eyes narrowed.

"No no. No problem. It's just nice." Ju-Long defended himself.

"Guys. You're forgetting about the note. The wolves want to wipe out her family. She is the last Hua." Viper brought back the topic.

All discussed about ways on how to protect their friend.

X-X-

The warriors had to go on a mission in the neighboring village. They had to go through an abandoned mine site. On the way back home, they were ambushed when they reached the mine site. The wolves attacked them with more fury.

"Aa.!"

All turned around to find the source of the pain. Their eyes widened when they saw Tigress, on her knees, with a sword impaled through her stomach.

"The job is done boys. Let's go an-" The Chief couldn't complete his sentence as, with a loud cry, Ju-Long charged at Chief and gave him a powerful punch. Mantis paralyzed them all. The others rushed to Tigress.

Tigress lay on the ground, the sword still impaling her. She was slowly losing conscious. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Ju-Long begging her to stay awake.

X-X-

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The first thing Tigress noticed when she opened her eyes was that she was in a completely white room. She sat up and saw that she was sitting on a blanket of clouds. She stood up and saw an old turtle with a sweet smile coming towards her.

"Hua." He called her.

Tigress bowed to him, not knowing what else to do.

"Rise my child. You have indeed grown into a beautiful woman. Your parents would be proud of you."

"My.. my parents are here?" Tigress stuttered, looking around her. All she could see was clouds.

"No, my child. I'm afraid that they can't come here. This is a place where the souls cross onto the next life. Your parents have already passed."

"Then how are you here?"

"Ah..good question. I think the Gods wanted me to see you. To help you."

"Help with what?"

"Wolves." The turtle said.

"Oh.. You mean the ones trying to kill me. Whoa. Wait a second. You said that this is a place where we go to the after life. And I am here?!" She asked, shocked to the peak.

"Yes." He answered calmly.

"What?! I can't be dead. I have to live. I have Ju-Long to live for. I-"

The turtle quickly silenced her by tapping on her nose gently. She shook her head. He smiled.

"Your parents would always tap your nose when you throw a tantrum. It works even when you are in worry."

"I wanna live." Tigress's eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"I know child. You will live. You are just unconscious."

"Really?" Her hopes lit up.

He nodded. "Young one. You are quite strong. Both mentally and physically. The wolves may try to taunt you, but you are strong. Don't let them get you. You were given this life as you are strong enough to live it"

Tigress nodded. "You never told your name." She said.

"Oogway." With that, he gave her a sharp hit to the head.

"Ow!"

X-X-

"Ow!"

"She's awake."

"Mantis! I think she woke up when you struck her with that acupuncture needle."

Ju-Long swiftly made his way to Tigress's side and gently held her paw. She groaned.

"Uhh…What happened." She asked, groaning.

"You were seriously hurt. We thought you would be a goner." Viper said worriedly.

"Ugh.. I think I went to heaven." Tigress muttered.

"What?" Crane asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"I think I went to heaven. Not exactly heaven. I just had to pass a gate or something to go there. But an old turtle called Oogway came and said that I would live and stuff. He said that I was strong and all."

"Oogway?" Viper asked, eyes wide.

"Ya." Tigress said.

"Ti. You didn't see any ordinary turtle. You saw Master Oogway, the creator of Kung Fu!" Mantis yelled.

"Man, you got to see him. I wish I could see him once more." Monkey sighed.

Tigress looked down. She understood from the turtle that the wolves would be back once they find out that she was alive. She had to be strong.

X-X-X

"Chief? I have bad news."

"What bad news?"

"That Hua."

"What happened to her. Tell me that she has gone to join the other Huas."

"Our spies said that she has survived."

"What?!"

"I am sorry sir, but-" The wolf was cut off when Chief grabbed him by the throat.

"I worked so hard for that ambush to happen. I worked so hard to have my sword in her drawing blood. And now, she survived? I will not have that. I will not rest until I have her dead."

X-X-X

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	9. Chapter 9

I have no idea how to finish this story. It seems that less people are reading this. But I am completing it for the ones actually reading it. This is the end of this story. I am truly sorry that it is short. I just lost my interest on this one.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was a dark day. The sky was clouded with dark clouds. The Valley of Peace was unnaturally eerie. The Jade Palace was quiet. The training hall was untouched. No one ate any food, not even Po. Ju-Long looked as if he was no longer living.

All were mourning.

" _Ju-Long? He'll be back again to kill me right?"_

 _Tigress and Ju-Long was sitting in Tigress's room, on her bed. Tigress had her head rested against Ju-Long's chest while he had his arms around her comfortingly._

" _Maybe. Maybe not." He said quietly._

" _Don't you wanna sleep? It's late. All are sleeping." She asked, looking up at him._

" _I wanna be with you." Ju-Long smiled, placing a quick kiss on her smiled and pulled his head down to feel his lips against hers again._

" _We've been together for how long?" Ju-Long whispered against her lips. She simply smiled._

 _He lowered her to the bed, and lied on top of her._

 _They made sure not to make any sounds as their bodies became one that night._

… _.._

… _.._

… _.._

 _After a few weeks,Tigress was down in the village with Viper. When Viper went ahead to check out some flower headdress, Tigress walked away and walked to a dead-end alley. She frowned at turned back but was landed on the ground with an hit to the head. She could barely make out a wolf over her, a sword in his hand. She barely heard the wolf say, 'Hua. This is the same sword that killed your pathetic Huas. The same sword that will end you."_

 _After that everything was white. She saw white. She saw the same tortoise there._

" _So, am I hurt again?" She asked Oogway._

 _He chuckled. "See that gate?" She nodded. He continued, "Do you want to see what lies beyond it?"_

 _Tigress looked at the gate. She wanted to see badly what was beyond it. Her curiosity got the better of her. She nodded._

 _The gates opened the second she nodded. "The gates open to you and your little one, my dear." Oogway said and walked beyond the gate._

 _She followed him and the gates closed behind her._

X-X-X

Ju-Long was distraught when they found Tigress's bloody body. He went back to the palace and shut himself in Tigress's room, the room where they had made love. He didn't go to the funeral. He swore to avenge his love's death.

He and the others searchd for the wolves. When they found them, they sent them to prison for life. And a death sentence was arranged for the chief of the wolves.

X-X-X

Ju-Long went back to his room. He lied down on his bed and thought about the day when Tigress had given him a news after one week of their night.

He had been so happy. Even though he wasn't married to her, he would get a cub to look after. His cub. Tigress's and his cub.

But now, all was gone. He would never see his unborn cub.

The cub he wanted so badly.

Life isn't always fair to you. Happy endings are only in fairytales.


End file.
